Articles tagged “Religion & Ethics Newsweekly”

COVENTRY, England (RNS) The new archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, says “reconciliation” across the bitterly divided Anglican Communion will be his top priority, but not a “fuzzy wuzzy tolerance” where everyone gets along for the sake of being nice.

(RNS) The third season of the megahit television series “Downton Abbey” wraps up on Sunday (Feb. 17), capping another must-see run of ruin and redemption at Lord Grantham’s stately English manor. Yet some are still left puzzling over the absence of what should be a leading player in this colorful cast: God.

After Pope Benedict XVI’s surprise announcement that he is resigning February 28, 2013, the Roman Catholic Church is preparing for a “conclave,” where cardinals under the age of 80 will gather to elect his successor. Managing editor Kim Lawton looked at the centuries-old process of selecting the pope. Video courtesy Religion & Ethics Newsweekly Watch […]

The fabled Saharan city of Timbuktu has been designated a world heritage site, largely because of its priceless collection of Islamic manuscripts dating back to the 13th century. The international community was outraged by reports that the departing militants had ransacked a major library and torched it, destroying some of the documents. Outside experts spent […]

Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam, emphasizes universal love, peace, acceptance of various spiritual paths and a mystical union with the divine. It is associated with the dancing of whirling dervishes, who originated in the 13th century as followers of the poet and Muslim mystic, Rumi. Their dance is a traditional form of Sufi worship, […]

The new 113th Congress, which was sworn in Thursday (January 3), includes several religious firsts. Democrat Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii is the first Hindu member of Congress. Mazie Hirono, also of Hawaii, is the first Buddhist senator, although she describes herself as non-practicing, and Kyrsten Sinema, a Democratic representative from Arizona, is the first member […]

BETHESDA, Md. (RNS) The number of Americans who say they have no religious affiliation has hit an all-time high — about one in five American adults — according to a new study, with the number of self-described atheists and agnostics hitting a peak of 6 percent of the U.S. population. By Kimberly Winston.